Friday, May 8, 2015

Compare Method and Methodology in Research

Method is the "practical" application of doing something.  In the Social Sciences to accumulate data, research might be conducted through interviews, surveys, or Focus Groups for example.Research methods are the tools, techniques or processes that we use in our research. These might be, for example, surveys, interviews, Photovoice, or participant observation. Methods and how they are used are shaped by methodology.

Methodology is the "theoretical" and "ideological"  application of these methods. Methodology is the study of how research is done, how we find out about things, and how knowledge is gained. In other words, methodology is about the principles that guide our research practices. Methodology therefore explains why we’re using certain methods or tools in our research.

 An interview for example is not a value free judgement, it is informed by the researcher's ideas (theory) and perspectives (ideology).  If you are a Marxist, you will begin your research from a different perspective and with different ideas than a Liberal or Conservative researcher; the "practical" application of the chosen method, will therefore also differ, as you will often be looking for different answers to the similar questions.  Methodology must come before method, i.e. You must have a theoretical and ideological approach before you can choose which method to employ in your research, this is Deductivism (putting your socks on before your shoes), if you do the opposite you are engaged in Inductivism (putting your socks on after your shoes)

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